Men of Iron
by TDX
Summary: The world of Warhammer 40k is a dark, brutal place. It is here that I place familiar heroes. This is one of their stories.


Men of Iron

Fortes-Nine was at the center of the Herculos asteroid belt. It served as a hidden forge world for the Imperium. The surface of the planet was one vast industrial complex. The skies were fill with white filth, the evidence of centuries of pollution. The only life left on Fortes-Nine dwelled inside Imperium factory.

"How in Emperor's Name could this happen?" Commander Vontrell asked as an explosion rocked the room. "These heretics are every where."

"I told you we should've called for the Inquisition sooner." Tech priest Lome responded.

"I am here now." A deep voice responded from the other side of the control room. The dark skinned man known as Inquisitor Rhodes calmly donned his battle armor. 

They turned to see him clad in black and burnished white armor. Commander Vontrell tried to hide his reaction to the vision of Rhodes. Clad in power armor brimming with weapons he understood why Inquisitor Rhodes also held the name War Machine.

"Tell the Marines that I will meet them in section Alpha –Six." Rhodes said walking from the room.

"Understood." Vontrell said. 

Alarms blared all over the world complex as the forces of Chaos slithered through the hallways. At their forefront was the daemon lord Moketh. 

Anthony Stark sat in his darkened room listening to the battle reports. Soon the fighting would be outside his door. He knew the ancient metal wouldn't protect him. He was going to die this day. Unless…

Rhodes and the detachment of Blood Angel Space Marines cut into the Chaos forces like a chain sword. They'd approached from the flank wanting to catch the Daemon Lord off guard. 

The tight corridors made for intense hand-to-hand combat. Twenty minutes after they started Rhodes had lost two of his six marine companions; encountering wave after wave of chaos fiends, Rhodes began to realize just how deep the infection was.

"This cult has been active for the better part of a two hundred years to have gained so much strength." Rhodes said into his recorder. "I suspect someone in command is involved. Recommend all staff be interrogated." 

Rhodes and his men stopped at a blind turn. He didn't need his psychic powers to tell him it was an ambush. He thought the commands that activated his rocket launcher. Nanoseconds later the black box on his back slid into firing position on his left shoulder. Two mini rockets flew to the end of the hall and made a right turn. Rhodes laughed as he watched the cultist expression through the eye of the lead rocket.

"Let's move out." He said after the explosion.

Anthony could feel the tremors of the approaching battle. He would be long dead when the marines reached his position. He guided his wheelchair over to his workstation. There it was on the table. He looked at the silver crown like device. Its blinking lights always had a claming effect on him. It wasn't long ago the he created it. He picked it up in his hands studying it. He knew it would be either his salvation or his damnation. He whispered a prayer to the machine god and placed the crown on.

Rhodes and his men moved slowly and steadily toward Moketh. Countless chaos cultist and creatures barred the way. At storage bay one, zero, six the men meet the daemon lord's champion chaos marines.

"Kill the traitors!" Rhodes yelled. "Kill them all!" 

The storage bay erupted in a storm of carnage. Rhodes activated his other back weapon. A chain gun locked into place on his right shoulder. Joyous laughter rose from the Inquisitor as a hail of hell fire rounds cut down the enemies of the Imperium. 

The first moments were always disorientating but thankfully they passed quickly. Anthony's mind cruised through the system of machines that linked the forge world together. He sent his mind deep into the complex. It was here that his true work lay. He'd found an ancient construction factory buried deep in to the heart of the planet. He used it to make something forbidden: an Iron Man.

Long ago men of iron were used to fight mankind's wars. They were perfect soldiers, soulless killing machines. But then they turned on their masters. When man finally over came them, the construction was banned. Anthony had found a way to create an Iron Man with a soul. With his interface crown a man could merge his soul with the machine spirit inside the Iron Man, thus becoming one.

The Iron Man flexed its fingers just as Anthony wanted it to. Every thing was working perfectly. He had altered the original design, his Iron man looked exactly like a helmeted suit of Mark IV space marine armor. With two minor cosmetic exceptions, small lenses in the palms of each hand and a similar lens in the center of the gold twin headed eagle on the breastplate. Iron Man stepped off his pedestal and began the trek to the surface.

The Inquisitor's breath came in ragged bursts. Though he stood victorious amidst the bodies in the storeroom, it had cost him dearly. His marine companions were counted along with the fallen. His armor was breached in places and his blood flowed freely. He pressed the button on his belt that would fill his body with painkillers and healing agents. In his mind he could see the advancing evil. If he didn't stop them the whole forge world would be lost. It was then that Rhodes had an odd feeling. He was only one man against an army. Images of thousands upon thousands chaos marines surrounding him filled his head. He would be better off giving in. Maybe, if he begged, Moketh would spare him. Then he saw himself bowing before the daemon lord pleading for his life.

"Not so!" Rhodes yelled. "I will never bow before you creature!" Rhodes erected physic screens to block the daemon lord out. He was mad at himself for failing to notice the monster's physic attack. He looked at his chronometer. He had wasted precious time in his mental duel with the daemon. He checked his weapons; every thing was running low except the weapon he was saving for the leader of the rebellion. Rhodes drew his power sword and was about to leave when he heard a sound.

Iron Man emerged from a hidden panel in the floor of storeroom one, zero, six. "Looks like I missed the battle." He said.

"It is not over yet." Inquisitor Rhodes said. "The vile lord still lives. Identify yourself marine."

This was the moment Anthony was dreading. Inquisitors were known for their ability to see the truth. He sighed mentally, time to put his theory to the test. "Space Marine first class sir." He said coming to attention.

Rhodes scanned the man with his mind all he saw was space marine armor. "Crimson and gold." He said. "What chapter are you from?"

"Sir I have the Dark Angel geneseed but I've been stationed here to test new space marine armor. This is a new prototype, sir."

Rhodes thought it over this was after all an R and D forge world. "Very well Marine you are under my command." He said. "Understood."

"Yes sir." He replied following the Inquisitor.

"There are close to a thousand corrupted souls between the foul Moketh and us." Rhodes said. "You will need to give all you have for the Emperor today my son."

"So shall it be." Iron Man said hoping that he sounded convincing enough. Being a tech-priest he had a different view of the Emperor. He worshiped the Emperor as the machine god not the warrior that the Inquisitor did. "Sir I have a suggestion."

"Speak marine."

"They're heading to the shield generators." Iron Man said. "He'll need to secure that area to be ready for a Imperial counter attack."

"Correct."

"During my time here I have learned a lot about this place." Iron Man said. "There is a route that will get us to the generator room first."

"Emperor's breath marine." Rhodes said. "This was just the opportunity I was praying for."

The two men moved with swiftness born of desperation. Rhodes followed the space marine through the twisting, dark spaces. Some of the corridors were covered in centuries of dust. 

"We are here sir." Iron man said pushing the vent grate aside. They emerged in front of the sealed mega doors of the shield control room.

"So we are." Rhodes tracked the enemy in his mind. "They will be here shortly. Moketh will be at the lead. We have to kill him first."

"Lord Inquisitor," Iron man said, "you take the monster I will give you the time to kill the beast."

"You speak boldly." Rhodes said. "But you will need more than words to handle his hordes. You don't even have your bolter."

"I have all the weapons I need." He replied shaking his clinched fist.

Rhodes grinned inside his armor. "Very well then Dark Angel today we will avenge your battle brothers."

"My who? Yes that's right they shall be avenged." Iron Man said.

"Inquisitor Rhodes this is Commander Vontrell" he said. "My sensors show you made it to the shield room."

"With the help of the Dark Angel you have stationed here." He said, "Bring ALL the shield room's defenses to bear on the enemy on my command."

"But sir." Vontrell said. "You and your escort..."

"The Dark Angel nor I fear death." Rhodes interrupted.

"Understood." He replied activating the weapons.

"Commander." Lome said.

"Yes."

"Weren't the marines from the Blood Angel chapter?"

"Steel yourself Marine." Rhodes said. "Our enemy is here."

Iron Man was about to ask how the Inquisitor knew when a thick inky blackness started to envelop them. Tony felt chilling cold even though his body was miles away. It was freezing his very soul.

"Back!" Rhodes shouted. 

At the Inquisitor's words the cloud lifted revealing the monstrous horde that had the two men surrounded. In front of them stood Moketh.

'What have we here?" Moketh asked. His voice was as soft and silky as the chaos power he served. Tony was expecting a hideous creature but Moketh was quite the opposite. The daemon lord's skin was smooth and the softest shade of blue. Its yellow eyes watched Tony closely then it smiled showing perfect white teeth. The creature had a beauty about it, a dark foreboding beauty. "The two of you against me. Why not join me. Come delight in my gifts." 

Tony's mind was filled with beautiful woman and men all nude and enjoying each other and at the center of it was Moketh. He smiled at Tony and whispered, "All you have to do is say yes." Say _yes _the human carpet chanted louder and louder. Tony was on the verge of giving in when he felt a strong hand on his shoulder. He turned to find Rhodes standing next to him. 

"Remember the Emperor marine." Rhodes said simply. The Inquisitor's words brought Tony back.

"What am I doing?" Tony thought shaking the last of the cobwebs from his head. "I'm not some pushover. I'm Iron Man."

"Glad to have you back." Rhodes said.

"For the emperor Inquisitor." Iron Man said. 

"Such a waste." Moketh said. "You may feed."

The horde Move toward them when...

"Now!" Rhodes shouted.

With out warning above them, the thirty levels shielding them from the toxic atmosphere of Fortes-Nine retracted. Thick white gas rushed in to replace the escaping air.

Iron Man body activated its magnetic boot clamps. Even still it was near impossible to stand. The screams of cultist around him were cut short as their lungs fill with the acidic filth of near a millennia's pollution. 

With his enhanced vision he watched the unfortunates dissolve as they were sucked from the complex. He raised his palms to those who were so far gone to chaos that natural laws no longer applied. The modified lasgenerators in his forearms activated. Beams of violet light shot forth from his hands. The man-creatures cried in pain as they were struck by what Tony called repulsars

Then exactly one minute thirty seconds later the factory sealed itself. The ancient air scrubbers strained to their limits to make the area breathable again.

"Well played." The daemon prince said. Only he and a dozen or so of his minions were left of the Chaos force. "But you have gained nothing."

"Phase two!" Rhodes shouted. The walls around them should be sprouting storm bolters and lascannons but it wasn't. "Control, Phase two."

Moketh laughed. "Call again little human. Maybe they are sleeping."

"Emperors tears!" Rhodes shouted. He knew there had to be a traitor in high command on Fortes-nine. But he scanned every one in the control room. How could He have missed it? "You will still die by my blade devil. Nothing has changed."

"You bug." Moketh snorted. "Want to pit your strength against mine so be it." Moketh turned to his remaining followers. "You may have the other but the Inquisitor is mine."

"Remember your promise marine." Rhode said drawing his power sword. "We will celebrate this day, if not on this side then on the other with the emperor and our lost brethren."

With that the two sides clashed. 

Sparks flew as Imperial forged power sword met Chaos spawned daemon claws. Despite the young daemon prince's boasts he and the aged inquisitor were evenly matched. The clashing weapons were but a deception, fore their battle was fought on all planes as each lashed out with physic attacks.

Iron Man found himself out numbered fifteen to one. He recalled reading some where those real Space Marines had a kill ratio of a hundred to one. He didn't know if that was propaganda or fact. But surely he could handle a few deformed freaks.

"What was that?" Iron Man thought as he was slammed into the far wall. 

Something had hit him out of nowhere. His question triggered an automatic command in his Iron Man body. The armor tapped into an Imperial database. He was watching a semitransparent list of known chaos powers given to cultist scroll by. 

"Enough." He thought as he stood up, shutting the list off. "I hate magic! Let me show you what the gifts of the machine god can do" 

The lens on his chest emanated a violet beam wider stronger then his hand beams. Most of the mutants were caught off guard. The sold light grabbed them and cast them against the armored mega doors. The remaining man-creatures attacked him but Tony just continued forward, increasing the pressure until the beam shattered bones, squished tentacles, and splintered teeth and claws. When he reached the door he turned off the light and a mass of chaos diseased flesh dropped to the floor.

"Next." He said grabbing a cultist who had gotten to close. He closed his armored fist around the thing's neck. Before it could respond he fired his repulsar, launching its body across room. He casually tossed its head at the others.

Although he had yet to land a killing blow neither had the daemon prince. Rhodes knew he couldn't keep his pace much longer; the stimulants in his system were already waning. He knew his hope as well as the forge world lay with the space marine.

Iron Man dispatched the last cultist with pure blood lust. The fighting had awakened something deep inside him. Those cultist were no challenge to him, he needed more.

The daemon prince screamed in pain as he was knocked from his feet.

"What is this?" he screeched. "Damn you all." He looked at the fallen bodies of his followers. "Couldn't kill one simple marine."

Rhodes picked up a subtle, faint emotion coming from the prince. It was emotion he knew all to well. The emotion Rhodes inspired in others: fear.

"You die here!" Rhodes shouted. "You know that don't you."

"Never!" Moketh replied. "Help me you fool!"

On command the walls opened up with lascannons and heavy bolters. An instant later the weapon came to life.

"Sorry master" Commander Vontrell said. "I had to pry the command codes for the targeting systems from Lome's dead body.

No matter where they moved they were in the defenses killing field. Each knew they couldn't last much longer. Either the guns or the recovering Moketh would get them.

Iron Man knew that if he could get into the system he could shut down the guns. He also knew that it was a closed system, totally unconnected with the rest of the complex. He would need a direct tap and there was only one way to get one.

He walked straight at one of the lascannons. At first the refractory coating deflected most of the damage but it started to vaporize. The closer he got the more damage the lascannon did; until finally it was punching holes clean through him. With the last of his reserves he ripped the cannon from its stand. He inserted the exposed wires into a port in his chest. 

"Stay alive a little while longer Inquisitor!" he said before he fell to the floor.

Rhodes didn't know what the marine was up to but he could feel the space marine's determination. 

"I will." Rhodes replied. He watched Moketh sitting across the room safe from the crossfire. Rhodes grinned running at him. "Time for some friendly fire."

Tony's mind raced through the system. Vontrell had no idea he was there. At first he though of turning the guns on Moketh but that would just turn into a war of wills between Vontrell and himself. The best course of action is to fry the whole system that way no one can use it.

"You fool you'll kill us both." Moketh said as he dueled with Rhodes. "Leave me be you are already dead."

"Then I take you with me!" Rhodes replied.

"Vontrell you idiot turn the damn things off!" Moketh shouted, "You're hitting me as much as you're hitting him."

Then the guns cut off, for good.

"I can see you." Moketh said. "Your life force is slipping into the warp."

"Maybe. But it's not a trip I plan to take alone."

Tony's mind barely made it out before the system crashed. He overloaded it just as Vontrell went to shut it down. Vontrell was fried instantly. Tony hoped the dead marines would be proud of him where ever they were. 

When his mind slipped into the Iron Man body he was surprised. He was going to warn the Inquisitor then blow the reactor core hopefully killing Moketh. The self-repair systems were way past his expectations.

Moketh and Rhodes circled one another each searching a weakness in the other. Neither of them noticed the marine rise to his feet. Moketh was the first to feel his presence.

"Now!" Iron Man yelled holding Moketh. "This is the only way." 

Rhodes nodded in agreement and struck Moketh through the heart. The power sword went right through the daemon and pierced the Iron Man's power pack. The explosion cast Rhodes hard against the mega doors then he laughed listening to Moketh's death screams.

Tony sat in his wheel chair looking at the damage report for the complex. It would take the better part of sixty years to repair. Thankfully the reinforcements arrived shortly after the Inquisitor and he killed Moketh. The Imperial Guard were still sweeping through the corridors eliminating the remaining cultists. That task might take as long as the repairs. 

Changes were being made to prevent another uprising. First there will be an Inquisitor permanently assigned to Fortes-Nine along with a legion of Guard and Arbitrators. It looked like Fortes-nine wouldn't be such a secret anymore. That was just fine with Tony. The last thing the powers that be promised was that a Space Marine chapter would call Fortes-nine home. He doubted he'd see that even in his extended lifetime.

A beeping at the door got his attention.

"Come in." Tony said turning his chair to the door.

"How does the day find you Commander Stark?" Inquisitor Rhodes asked.

"I am well." Tony answered. Rhodes was still an imposing figure even with out the War Machine armor. "Yourself Inquisitor?"

"Please call me Rhodes." He said. "Any one I've fought side by side with calls me Rhodes."

"I'm not quite sure I understand."

"Please don't try to hide it." He said. "I know that was you that helped me against Moketh. You see when I got here the monster was subtle in clouding my vision. That's why I didn't see Vontrell for who he was and why I didn't see that was you who helped me."

Tony heart sank. He knew that the penalty for making an Iron Man was death. "So what now Rhodes?" Tony asked. "Do I get to choose how I die?"

"Not at all." Rhodes replied. "Inquisitor's have the right to judge what is evil and what is not. What I saw fight Moketh was good. There may have been a time when the technology was evil but that time has pasted. Unfortunately the rest of the Imperium isn't ready for it yet, so it will be our little secret." 

"But you said it was good we should use it to help the Imperium."

"Oh, I didn't say it wasn't going to be used." Rhodes replied. He smiled grimly at the wheel chair bound tech-priest. "I meant that I would be the only one using it."


End file.
